


To Converse With Purpose

by Pearl_Pilots_In_Chains



Series: Of Tears and Ash [6]
Category: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Genre: Discussion, Gen, information gathering, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:07:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25482895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pearl_Pilots_In_Chains/pseuds/Pearl_Pilots_In_Chains
Summary: Iphicles and Orestes visit a bar, in search of a certain piece of information.
Series: Of Tears and Ash [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1050806
Kudos: 8





	To Converse With Purpose

Iphicles and Orestes slid into the seats along the bar (mostly empty at the moment, given that it was mid-afternoon) with the ease of individuals who had done so countless times, a testament to their ongoing patronage of taverns and inns across Greece, no doubt.This was in turn, of course, a testament to the type of work they did, and the vagrant lifestyle which accompanied it.The life of a freelancer was a never-ending series of page turns, the road an incessant volume, with chapters enough to bridge the span of many a ceaseless year.Nevertheless, it was the life that the pair had chosen, and that they lived as well as any who choose such a path could.

The bartender, a balding fellow who looked as though he was approaching the middle years of his life (if he had not already reached them) moved down to their portion of the bar and gave them each a nod.“Afternoon travelers, what brings you to my establishment?”He inquired casually, with the well-crafted air of a proficient conversationalist, a monicker which could be applied to many personages in his profession (or, at the very least, those who excelled in the craft; and those who did not frequently pursued other professions).

“Well, a drink is what’s on my mind, good sir,” Orestes answered amiably.

“And perhaps some talk as well,” Iphicles added with a good-natured laugh.

“Ah, I see, I see,” the bartender remarked with a disarming smile.“Well, I think in both cases, I might be able to fulfill those interests.”

“Marvelous,” Orestes commented, glancing up toward the board, bolted into the wall over the bar, which listed the prices of the tavern’s fare (the words appeared to have been burned into the wood of the sign itself, something which Orestes observed with interest).“I’ll go for a beer.”Reaching into his coin purse, he deposited the appropriate amount of money onto the bar.

“Always an excellent plan,” the bartender remarked lightly, sweeping up the money at a temperate pace.

“I’ll take one myself as well,” Iphicles said, following Orestes’s gaze up to the bolted board, and depositing a similar trio of coins onto the bar before him.

The bartender nodded, collecting this money as well, and set about drawing up the ordered beverage.While he did so, he continued to converse with the pair.“So,” he began, “You said something of an interest in conversation, did you not?Tell me, did you have something in particular in mind?It is rare for someone to request such a thing without an objective, after all.”Turning back to the men, he set a pair of tankards before them, filled with a brew that didn’t look half-bad to Iphicles’s eye.Of course, the drink’s true measure could only be ascertained once he had quenched his thirst with it.

“Or perhaps,” the bartender mused as he drew his hands away from the vessels, “You’re simply a pair of travelers who have grown weary of the silence and solitude of the road?”

Orestes quickly spoke to answer the man’s questions.“Well, good sir, though your latter idea is not wholly devoid of truth, your first theory holds the greater accuracy.”

Concurrent with this explanation, Iphicles took a sip of his drink, and found that his initial visual appraisal had been accurate.The brew was of a good quality.He nodded as Orestes finished speaking, conveying his confirmation of his companion’s answer.

“Ah, very good, very good,” the bartender said with a firm nod on his behalf.“Well, the name is Pamphilos, and as I often like to say, my name signals that which I am: a friend to all my customers.I pride myself in good conversation.And good information too, if that’s what you’re after, whatever the nature of it might be.I’ve learned a fair number of things in my time behind this bar you know,” he revealed with a wide grin.“You’d be surprised the sort of things I know a bit about.”

Orestes took a hearty swig of his beer as he listened to Pamphilos, and couldn’t keep (not that he made any attempt to do so) a smile from forming on his face as he found that the drink was fair.It seemed that food and drink would always be his weakness, as Iphicles often liked to say.Not that the other man had much room to talk when it came to such things, considering how he never seemed to be able to resist the urge to become an obnoxious flirt whenever the fancy caught him (something usually precipitated by encountering an attractive individual, male or female, it should be said).

“I don’t doubt it,” Iphicles agreed to Pamphilos’s statement.“I’d imagine in your line of work, you’ve had as many conversations as there are topics to be spoken of in this land.”

“Very close, very close indeed, I’d say,” Pamphilos concurred.“But now, enough of my speech.What sort of talk did you come here to seek?”

“To be specific, the informative variety,” Iphicles replied brightly.

“I see,” Pamphilos acknowledge.“Well then, go right ahead.Ask away.”

Iphicles nodded at this, and began to speak again, as Orestes took another gulp of his drink.“You see, my companion and I are freelance guards.Mercenaries, if you prefer that term.Either way, I’m sure you know the sort of work we do.”

Pamphilos nodded with a chuckle.“I do indeed.Let me guess, you’re here to inquire if there are any caravans in town that I know of which might be hiring, are you not?”

“We are indeed,” Iphicles affirmed.“I take it you’ve had plenty of conversations of this nature before?”

“A not diminutive number, that much is certain,” Pamphilos corroborated.“Plenty of folk in your line of work have stopped by my establishment seeking such advice over the years.And, this much I can say, I have helped those that I could.”

“I will take that as a fortuitous sign,” Orestes chimed in with a laugh.

“You’d not be wrong to do so,” Pamphilos opined.He paused for a moment, looking off toward the entryway into the tavern, a contemplative look in his eyes, as though rolling thoughts about within his mind.He turned back after a moment.“I’m afraid there is not much that I can do to help you two, however.All the same, I shall do what I can.”

Iphicles dipped his head.“And for that, you have our gratitude.”

Pamphilos gave an incline of his head in a similar manner, before continuing to speak.“There are no traders in the village at the moment.That being said, a group of them passed through here the day before last, heading up the northern road.They didn’t stay too long, only doing business for an afternoon, I believe.They dined here for the noontime meal.Cloth was what they dealt in.I imagine you might be able to catch up with them if you made haste.They were on foot, leading their animals.Only one guard, as I recall.I’m sure with the wares they had, two more would not be turned down.I could see a fair share of ruffians wishing to acquire such goods, for the profit they might turn would not be insubstantial.”

Iphicles smiled at this news.“Many thanks, good Pamphilos.That is fair news for my companion and I.”

“You are most welcome for it,” Pamphilos replied amicably.

Iphicles took a long draught of his mug, draining much of the liquid within in a single swoop.He turned to Orestes, who was just finishing off what remained of his drink, a knowing (and slightly dejected look in his eye).“It would do us well to be quick,” he remarked.

Reluctantly, Orestes nodded his agreement.“No inn for us tonight, I suppose,” he said with a mildly regretful shake of his head.

“Indeed not,” Iphicles concurred.

“Ah, well then, so be it,” Orestes conceded.“Pamphilos, a multitude of thanks for the knowledge you have imparted to us.We’ll be sure to stop in again whenever our path leads us here once more.”

Pamphilos waved a hand jovially.“Ah, kind words, good sir.Now, before you two depart this place, might I have your names.”

“But of course,” Orestes responded.“How ill-mannered of us not to divulge them sooner.I am Orestes, and my companion is called Iphicles.”

“Fair names, good men,” Pamphilos commented in return.He paused for a moment as the two rose from their seats, collecting their packs from beside their barstools.“I wish you well on the road north.May your feet be like those of Hermes, touched by swiftness and agility.”

Iphicles raised his tankard, sinking the rest of its contents, and set it down it down firmly.“Well wishes upon you also.May your tables and your purse alike ever be full, and the talk of your bar a fair discourse.”

Pamphilos said nothing more, only nodding in appreciation of the return blessing, and set about cleaning up the discarded tankards.Together, the companions departed the tavern, back to the road once more.

**Author's Note:**

> This is another one of my HTLJ fics from 2018 (set in my "Of Tears and Ash" AU) that I never posted, but decided I might as well, considering the time I put into them. Once again, since I'm no longer really in the fandom, I'm backdating this to when I wrote it, so no one thinks I'm suddenly back into HTLJ.


End file.
